Glin () is a village in the northwest of

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. It is on the south shore of the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( or archaic ') is the major river on the island of Ireland, and at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of I ...

's estuary, on the N69 road between Foynes and Tarbert. The population of the village at the 2022 census was 644.

History

The lands around Glin were the manor of the Knight of Glin after the Norman invasion. Glin was not included in the Down Survey of the 1650s. The village, as it was then, was called Ballygullyhannane. Glin ''An Gleann'' was previously ''Gleann Corbraighe'', "Valley of the Corbry", from the stream flowing through the village into the Shannon. Glin is in the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

of Shanid, formerly a division of the barony of Lower Connello.Glin
''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' (1837), Samuel Lewis A road through the mountains south to Abbeyfeale was completed in 1836. Glin gave its name to a

poor law union A poor law union was a geographical territory, and early local government unit, in Great Britain and Ireland. Poor law unions existed in England and Wales from 1834 to 1930 for the administration of poor relief. Prior to the Poor Law Amendment ...

established in 1850. A

workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...

was erected southeast of the village.Glin Poor Law Union and Workhouse
Peter Higginbotham In 1891, the poor law union was dissolved. In 1894, the workhouse became the site for a District School for boys, run by the Christian Brothers, and girls, run by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...

. The workhouse closed in 1920, and the District School in 1924. In 1928, St Joseph's Industrial School for boys moved to the site from Sexton Street in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

. The industrial school, also run by the Christian Brothers, closed in 1966. Reports of

abuse Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...

of the residents were documented by the 2009 report of the

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) was one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. Commencing its work in 1999, it was commonly known ...

Glin Castle

Upstream on the Corbry from the village is Glin Castle and

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land subinfeudation, sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. ...

, the residence of the Knight of Glin and now a luxury hotel.Glin Castle
official website The first castle they built was by Thomas Fitzgerald in Shanid around 1200. Its ruins are still visible. It was the home of the Knights of Glin from about 1260 until 1642, when a house was built near the site of the present castle. The present day castle was built between 1780 and 1790 by John Bateman. Although it is called a castle, it is actually a Georgian house. The contractor was a Mr. Sheehy and the stone was brought from Athea by horse drawn sledge. By 1798, the majority of the interior was finished but with the Fitzgeralds about to become bankrupt, the craftsmen downed tools and left the castle.

Industrial school monument

St Joseph's Industrial School, Ireland's second largest industrial school, was opened in Glin by the Christian Brothers in 1928. It closed in 1966. In March 2015, a monument to residents and survivors of abuse at this residential institution was erected in the town's heritage park. In 2009, the Child Abuse Commission, chaired by Judge Seán Ryan, described the school as having a "severe, systemic regime of corporal punishment". A statement, released by the Glin Project to mark the unveiling at the monument, said that the monument had "the support and goodwill of the vast majority of local people" and described the monument's inscription as representing a "clear and unambiguous apology by the Christian Brothers".

Events

The

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

days in Glin were 8 June, the first Wednesday in September, and 3 December, with a weekly market each Wednesday. Glin also holds an annual event known as the ''Swim to Clare'' where locals swim either to or from Clare to the local pier, depending on which way the tide is going. Cycling events are also held throughout the year, as the town is located off the main N69 road.

Sport

The local

Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...

club, Glin GAA club, won seven county football championships between 1926 and 1934. The club's rivals include Fr. Caseys and Newcastle West. It reached the 2009 County Junior Final, losing a replay to Mountcollins.

References

External links

GLIN, a market and post-town, and a parish
from ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' (1837) by Samuel Lewis
A collection of images of Glin, Co. Limerick

The Glin Development Association website
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick Towns and villages in County Limerick